War Funds: Bush Disses Hill?

19 Oct 2006By jason

"Congress said it wants next years defense budget to include funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," intead of using a series of so-called "supplemental," emergency requests for cash, Defense News is reporting. But President Bush "has indicated he may ignore that request."

In a "signing statement" released when he signed the 2007 Defense Authorization Act on Oct. 17, the president listed two dozen provisions in the act that he indicated he may or may not abide by...Among the provisions is Section 1008 of the Authorization Act, which requires the president to submit defense budgets for 2008 and beyond that include funding for the wars and contain "a detailed justification of the funds requested."The Bush administration has frequently ignored requirements that it does not like by proclaiming exclusions from the law in signing statements, which are written statements about how the president plans to interpret the law. Since he became president, Bush has issued statements carving out exceptions to more than 750 laws a rate far higher than any previous president.